Image by Flickr user philippe leroyer

It's almost here: QueerFest 2010.

QueerFest is a weekend-long event at the Outer Space that will commence on Friday, April 16th at 5:30 with a Queer Warriors-themed parade. The parade will travel from the gazebo at Hampton Park to the Outer Space. From 8 to 11 p.m. there will be an art show entitled The Queer Show, which will feature artists working in time-based media exploring queerness, sexuality, and queer identities/experiences. That same evening there will be a Midnight Mystery Bike Ride organized by the Holy City Bike Co-op themed Queers with Gears.

Here's more from the press release:

On Saturday the 17th, there will be a series of educational workshops, which will delve into issues at the intersection of art, sexuality, and activism. Topics for the workshops will be as follows: Gender Theory; Androgyny and Alchemy; Feminism, Queerness and Creativity; Art as Activism; Practicing Good Consent; GLBTQQ Youth Activism; and LGBTQ Health Issues. QueerFest will culminate in a music show on the evening of the 17th, which will feature queer-identified artists. The following bands have been booked thus far: Short Shorts (Charleston), Romanenko (Athens, GA) and Psychic Handbook (Oakland, CA). More bands will be announced.

QueerFest will provide a safe space for the exploration of sexuality, queer identity and experience through the mediums that most affect our generation: art, music, and intellectual discourse. The event will create an atmosphere in which all people, queer-identified or not, can experience a creative exploration of sexuality as it exists outside the rigid norms of western culture. All people, regardless of identity or belief, are welcome at this event.

For a rundown of all the workshops QueerFest has to offer, check out this Facebook page. If you're looking for more information, email Charleston Women or check out the blog.  

Outer Space is located at 623A Meeting Street.